Q.28 What is Point on a graph and explain how to find it.

Elements of a Graph
We often use graphs to give us a picture of the relationships between variables.
Let's first look at the basic construction of graphs.

A graph is a visual representation of a

relationship between two
variables, x and y.

A graph consists of two axes called

the x (horizontal) and y (vertical) axes.
These axes correspond to the variables
we are relating. In economics we will
usually give the axes different names,
such as Price and Quantity.

The point where the two axes intersect

is called the origin. The origin is also
identified as the point (0, 0).

Coordinates of Points
A point is the basic relationship displayed on a graph. Each point is defined by a
pair of numbers containing two coordinates. A coordinate is one of a set of
numbers used to identify the location of a point on a graph. Each point is
identified by both an x and a y coordinate. In this unit you will learn how to find
both coordinates for any point. You will also learn the correct notation for
labeling the coordinates of a point. You will first begin by identifying the xcoordinateof a point.
Identifying the x-coordinate

The x-coordinate of a point is the value that tells you how far from the origin
the point is on the horizontal, or x-axis. To find the x-coordinate of a point on a
graph:

Draw a straight line from the point

directly to the x-axis.

The number where the line hits the xaxis is the value of the x-coordinate.

At the right is a graph with two points,

B and D. In this figure:

The x-coordinate of point B is 100.

The x-coordinate of point D is 400.

Identifying the y-coordinate

As we already mentioned, each point is defined by two coordinates, the x and

the y coordinate. Now that you know how to find the x-coordinate of a point,
you have to be able to find the y-coordinate. They-coordinate of a point is the
value that tells you how far from the origin the point is on the vertical, or yaxis. To find the y-coordinate of a point on a graph:

Draw a straight line from the point

directly to the y-axis.

The number where the line hits the

axis is the value of the y-coordinate.

Looking back at the graph with our

points B and D, we now identify the ycoordinate for each.

The y-coordinate of point B is 400.

The y-coordinate of point D is 100.

Notation for Identifying Points

Once you have the coordinates of a point you can use the ordered pair notation
for labeling points. The notation is simple. Points are identified by stating their
coordinates in the form of (x, y). Note that thex-coordinate always comes first.
For example, in the figure we've been using, we have identified both
the x and y coordinate for each of the points B and D.

The x-coordinate of point B is 100.

The y-coordinate of point B is 400.

Coordinates of point B are (100,

400)

The x-coordinate of point D is 400.

The y-coordinate of point D is 100.

Coordinates of point D are (400,

100)

Points On The Axes

If a point is lying on an axis, you do not need to draw lines to determine the
coordinates of the point. In the figure below, point A lies on the y-axis and point
C lies on the x-axis. When a point lies on an axis, one of its coordinates must be
zero.

Point A--If you look at how

far the point is from the
origin along the x-axis, the
answer is zero. Therefore,
the x-coordinate is zero. Any
point that lies on the y-axis

has an x-coordinate of zero.

If you move along the y-axis

to find the y-coordinate, the
point is 400 from the origin.
The coordinates of point A
are (0, 400)

Point C--If you look at how far the point is from the origin along the y-axis,
the answer is zero. Therefore, the y-coordinate is zero. Any point that lies on
the x-axis has a y-coordinate of zero.

If you move along the x-axis to find the x-coordinate, the point is 200 from
the origin. The coordinates of point C are (200, 0)